10 December 2010

BEST ALBUMS OF 2010: # 6



6. Spoon - TRANSFERENCE

What's this band all about? You can't easily categorize them as anything more dynamic or telling than that catch-all variety "indie rock" and the moment they got on the radio (with their previous, overpraised effort Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga), I sensed some calculation in their minimal-but-not shtick. So, this proved a pleasant surprise, even if it further muddies my initial question. Although every song could have conceivably fit on any of their last four albums, you sense the band pulling back a bit, forgoing fanciful flourishes for the leanest, barest essentials (groove and melody-wise). Overall, it feels refreshingly off-the-cuff and yet hypnotic, whether they're going for nighttime driving music (the spy film worthy "The Mystery Zone") or enigmatic collages that just about leave you hanging, but still satiated ("Nobody Gets Me But You", "Who Makes Your Money").

Favorite Tracks: The Mystery Zone, Out Go the Lights, Nobody Gets Me But You

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